Frequently Asked Questions
What fabricators, OEM engineers, and spec writers ask us most.
Prep & Substrate
How soon after blasting does the part have to be coated?
Same shift. Blasted carbon steel begins flash-rusting within hours at ordinary shop humidity, and a flash-rusted profile no longer gives you the adhesion you paid for. If parts must stage overnight, dehumidify the area or plan to sweep-blast before coating.
Can it go over galvanized or an existing shop primer?
Yes, with 7001 primer. Do not blast galvanized to white metal — sweep-blast or abrade to give tooth, then apply 7001, then the polyurea. On shop-primed steel, 7001 also blocks bleed-through from the original coat.
Do I really need chloride testing on brand new steel?
For coastal, road-salt, or wash-down service, yes. New steel is not automatically salt-free — mill handling, open-truck transport, and outdoor lay-down all deposit chlorides. Verify below 7 µg/cm². Salt left under a 60-mil membrane will osmotically blister it, and that repair is far more expensive than the test.
What about slip-critical bolted connections?
Faying surfaces of slip-critical connections have their own requirements and must be coordinated with the engineer of record. In practice we mask those areas and coat everything else, then field-touch the connection region after erection if the spec allows.
Shop Workflow & Throughput
How does this fit a production schedule?
Better than a multi-coat system, because there is no cure window between coats — there is only one coat. Tack-free in 10 to 30 seconds and handling strength in minutes means a part goes from blast to spray to staging within a single shift, rather than occupying floor space for two days.
What equipment does a shop need?
A plural-component proportioner with heated hose — Graco Reactor E-20 or E-30 class or equivalent — plus adequate air, power, and a ventilated spray area with containment for overspray. We will help size the rig to your realistic square footage per shift rather than to a brochure number.
Can we outsource this instead of buying a rig?
Absolutely, and many fabricators do. We can refer applicators who run our material, or supply your existing coating contractor directly so the spec and the material stay consistent across jobs.
What DFT should we specify?
40 to 60 mil for general atmospheric exposure, 60 to 80 mil where impact or heavy wash-down is expected, and 60 to 100 mil for immersion or interior vessel service. Tell us the destination environment and we will put a number on it rather than a range.
Performance & Cost
How does the cost compare to a three-coat paint system?
Material cost per square foot is higher; installed cost is often comparable once you account for labor across three coats, cure time occupying shop floor, and the recoat cycle at five to seven years. Over the asset life the polyurea system usually wins outright — the honest comparison is dollars per year of service.
Will it fade or chalk?
Aromatic polyurea like OR93BL chalks and loses gloss in direct UV. It is a cosmetic change only — corrosion protection, tensile, and elongation are unaffected. Where the finished part is architecturally visible, we spec an aliphatic topcoat over the membrane.
What happens if a coated part gets damaged in shipping?
Field repair is straightforward: abrade the damaged area, apply 7001 primer, and respray. Within about six hours of the original application, a new pass bonds chemically with no primer needed at all. This is one reason it holds up well on parts that get handled hard.
Does prevention coating come with a warranty?
Full warranty terms apply when the SP6 blast standard, profile, chloride limit, and DFT are met and documented — which is exactly why shop application is the preferred route. Field maintenance work over power-tool-cleaned surfaces carries a reduced-warranty note.
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